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Not a History Buff….

by Guest Blogger Pamela Thibodeaux

Although I relish reading a good historical romance, I never
liked history. Civics, American History, Louisiana History… all those facts and
stories that mostly revolved around wars…and having to memorize all those dates
and speeches… UGH!

A quick check online or requesting and perusing information
on the location or setting of a novel is sometimes necessary, but as a writer
of contemporary romance/women’s fiction, not a whole lot of energy goes into
researching.

However, when I wrote my novel, The Visionary and set it
on a piece of property that once belonged in my family, research was necessary.

You see, the heroine, Taylor Forrestier, has a gift. She
‘sees’ into the past as it pertains to remodeling or restoring old homesteads.
Therefore, I had to know what she would find.

Although I remembered walking through the old house and
heard stories of its occupants, I went to the local library and dug through the
microfiche files until I uncovered enough information on the homestead and my
family history to make the references in the book and the research done by my
heroine authentic.

Legends and folklore surrounding my ancestors came alive… My
great, great, great grandmother, Laonise LeBleu (better known as Grandma Jo)
who lived to be over 100 became real to me. The famed pirate, Jean LaFitte,
(Louisiana’s ‘favorite son’) became more than a character in a history or
romance book as did Frank & Jesse James. I also found and used references
to my brother-in-law’s family, the Salliers, who, along with the LeBleu’s, were
among the first to settle the area. I still have the print out of that
newspaper interview with Grandma Jo on her 100’th birthday which gave me so
much information.

Although this research proved to be fun as well as useful, I
think I’ll just stick to writing contemporary thank-you-very-much.

Author bio: Award-winning
author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou
Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction
as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational
with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier
and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.”

Book Blurb: A
visionary is someone who sees into the future Taylor Forrestier sees into the
past but only as it pertains to her work. Hailed by her peers as “a
visionary with an instinct for beauty and an eye for the unique” Taylor
is undoubtedly a brilliant architect and gifted designer. But she and twin
brother Trevor, share more than a successful business. The two share a
childhood wrought with lies and deceit and the kind of abuse that’s
disgustingly prevalent in today’s society.
Can the love of God and the awesome healing power of His grace and mercy
free the twins from their past and open their hearts to the good plan and the
future He has for their lives? Find out
in…The
Visionary ~ Where the awesome power of God's love heals the most
wounded of souls.

Comments

I think sometimes historical writers get too much fun out of the research. Dig dig dig. But, the truth is most contemporaries require some research unless you write something you do yourself everyday. I would be all over that historical research!

Thanks for sharing the story behind your story, and sharing Grandma Jo. This really draws me. I wish you much success with THE VISIONARY!

i have to admit, i'm not very good at researching (Anita Mae on the other hand, excells there). it appears you have a very interesting family history Pam. i like your idea of plumbing family history for your book idea.

Hi, Pamela, welcome to the Inkwell. I'm so glad you're visiting with us today. I'm fascinated by your storyline. I love history and research, and think exploring Louisiana would be interesting. I got to go once for a conference, and got to do a little exploring, but not a lot. I must get back there someday.

Thanks for having me here today ladies! Yes, you must get back to Louisiana, Suzie, and let me know when so we can get together! Thanks for stopping by Deb H & Debra Marvin! I certainly appreciate the comments....PamT

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